Opinion: DeMint to Establishment

Heritage Foundation president Jim DeMint on the political tension between the tea party and GOP "establishment." Photo credit: Getty Images.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... welcome to Opinion Journal why Mary Kissel ... the tea party world Republicans to historic victories in twenty ten ... the squabble that was a different story ... now that the GOP isn't soul searching not what lessons should Republicans learn ... from those experiences in particular the tea party ... we got to head the Heritage Foundation and former Senator Jim demand here ... to reflect on the experience the center ... while come thank you Mary um so that it could be seen to judge the mood of the nation crackling twenty ten I'm so what what's Oman in twenty twelve wind that momentum carried through ... well it's a it's a great lesson for the Republican party or anyone who wants to change the course of our nation ... the one of the greatest things happen that has happened in our generation was the grassroots movement some of it was called Tea Party some other was called the Patriots movement ... but the people were concerned about the spending the barring in debt ... that's primarily what the tea party was about that they held up signs about constitutional and the government ... but they were united around some very simple ideas I saw libertarians recovering liberals and conservatives ... people who'd never been a mom with politics ... it was a great ... movement of citizen vigilance ... and the lesson to be learned is if Republicans gain a majority ... in the game seats in the Senate ... because it was a bottom up phenomenon ... in two thousand twelve ... the Republican establishment took it back ... and did it their way it was a top down approach ... hundreds of names of dollars on TV ... while stiff arming ... the tea party movement Denville flying at two locations ... and so it isn't ... we have to win the nation ... one heart attack and building a small coalitions ... at the local level and then changing at the state level ... we know what works and is exactly what the Obama team of scientists with the business plan I say I mean the sovereign I is that the tea party didn't want to example for example I'm compromise on the debt ceiling last time around sure they didn't and they did this ... was this part of it because we we said ok you can have the debt ceiling but we need to put our country on a path to a balanced budget ... that's what the cut camp in Dallas was all about ... the conservative tea party members of the House of Representatives ... passed an extension of the debt ceiling ... but they wanted the Republican party to recognize what the move was all about it if it's a overpromise t think that that kid that the tea party members of the house the Senate ... said the ... outlook American public that we can do all the things we can get spending cuts we can reform taxes ... and then when they were unable to deliver ... Americans but will catch wind of it but it doesn't think it was unreasonable for them to say that because that's what Republicans run on all the time ... and limited government ... a balanced budgets ... so I think they have every reason to expect if we can in the majority that the Republican party would pull together ... towards those very simple and clear goals ... I think obviously the resistance from the other side was tremendous ... on for Chile Republicans don't have very good choices one is ... probably to shut the government down the other is to go along with more spending and borrowing ... so there's some soul searching and has to go on with the Republican party ... I frankly think the the implications of the of the actual ... in the result of continuing the status quo ... are so significant and devastating that ... we need to fight the battle now while we can still control the outcome ... I don't think the present is going to negotiate a compromise they're going to keep spending ... because they believe that the economy is ... is driven by government spending in government control they're not going to cut spending ... so when we got Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal got about a minute left he said this quote if the lecturer taught us anything it is that we will not win and I'm paraphrasing ... by simply pointing out the failures of the other side ... do you see this debt ceiling deal then that the GOP House ... I ... just did ... not as an example of taking that lesson away from the tea party that ... you have to under promise and over deliver rather than the other way ... Governor General yesterday we were talking about this messaging and we we agreed he can win this ... thing we just numbers and dad and we got to connect with the people ... we were talking the same language because he knows we have to build this ... from the ground up ... a lot of states or for implementing conservative ideas whether they be tax reform school choice ... on energy development ... and freedom in the workplace ... these ideas are working ... out Republicans if they care to but certainly conservatives that that that's what I wanna lead on the need to show the success stories ... set politics aside ... talk about the ideas that are changing people's lives that's what we're gonna do it the Heritage Foundation over the next year ... is step outside the political Reed Arena and help people understand that what we're talking about will make their lives better okay I will have to leave it that the American Foundation former center ... tendon and thank you so much for being with us thank you